Evan Engram remains absent from the beginning of the Jaguars’ offseason program amidst talks on a long-term deal. The veteran tight end is currently scheduled to play on the franchise tag, but a multi-year agreement could be coming soon. 
Jacksonville used the tag ($11.35MM) on Engram last month to ensure he would remain in the fold for at least one season after a career-best 2022 campaign. The former Giants first-rounder recorded 766 yards and four touchdowns on 73 catches in his debut Jaguars season, making the team’s one-year, $9MM flier on him a worthwhile investment. Engram is now due a raise either on the one-year tender, or a longer-term pact to be agreed upon in the coming weeks or months.
It was reported in March, however, that the two parties were not close to finalizing an extension. Engram would rank ninth in the league in terms of AAV if he were to play out the upcoming season on the tag, but his production (both in the regular season and playoffs) and rapport with quarterback Trevor Lawrence could help him move higher up that list on a new deal. At 28, he should be able to replicate his success from last season for at least the short-term if the inconsistency which dogged his New York tenure were to be avoided.
“There’s up and downs as you go through the process and you’re just trying to come to — a common goal here is to get him signed,” general manager Trent Baalke recently said on the subject of contract talks with Engram. “I think we’re trending that direction, but we’re not there yet. We’ll continue to work to get him signed to a long-term extension and hopefully we can get that done” (h/t Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk).
Jacksonville currently sits at $14.8MM in cap space, and a new Engram contract could lower his hit on the team’s 2023 cap sheet. The parties can continue negotiating until July 17, but urgency could increase if his absence from the team lingers deeper into the offseason. If progress continues to be made as Baalke suggests, however, a deal keeping Engram in Duval County beyond 2023 could be on the horizon.